Notice : This is a replicated version of the official SMS Prague Conference website in support of a group registration at reduced fees by CSSMIE members and partners. For full conference details please go to http://prague.strategicmanagement.net/

STRATEGY IN TRANSITION : MAIN CONFERENCE THEMES

Track A: Institutional Transitions and Business Strategy
While institutional embeddedness is important to consider in all types of environments, it is particularly critical under conditions of transition and continuous change. Some central questions we seek to address are: (1) How do the different facets of institutional change affect firm strategy, i.e., how do firms adjust their strategies to changes in formal and informal institutions, such as policies, regulations, social cognition, knowledge, and norms? (2) Which aspects have the biggest and the smallest effects on strategy? (3) How do institutional transition and firm strategies coevolve over time; what are the dynamics of strategic adjustment? (4) What are the strategy and firm performance implications of the different models of transition (e.g., gradual vs. "big bang," "internally vs. externally motivated," different models of privatization and deregulation, etc.)? (5) What are the winning competitive strategies for the different types of firms in this context?Track Chair: Tatiana Kostova, University of South Carolina
Track B: Sectoral Transitions and Sustainability
This track will focus on the multifaceted inter-connections between transitions experienced in various industries and sectors of the economy with the challenges posed by the growing concerns related to economic, social, and environmental sustainability in business models and firm strategies. In every sector and any region of the planet, companies are being asked, in different ways and to a widely different extent, to innovate and (often radically) change their strategies, their practices, and their mindsets to reflect the rapidly evolving expectations of stakeholders and (increasingly) policy-makers with regard to business conduct. We call for contributions that aim to shed light on (a) the heterogeneous evolution of expectations on firm practices across sectors and institutional contexts, on (b) the ways in which firms attempt to respond by innovating and adapting their strategies, processes, and mindsets, and on (c) the performance implications of such strategic change processes in terms of economic profit and risk, as well as environmental and social impacts.Track Chair: Maurizio Zollo, Bocconi University

Track C: Understanding Transitions in Business Models
This track addresses transitions in the organizations and strategies of firms, whether large, globally oriented multinationals or local, regionally focused firms that must respond to the pressures of changing competitive environments. Innovation, exploration, and dynamism are all terms that have been applied widely to firm products, resources, and strategies in recent times. This track incorporates these ideas, but proposes that the fundamentals of strategic intent and underlying business models are transitioning to new states in response to the changing technological, political, and social environment. Core questions are: How do established firms successfully make fundamental transitions in their strategic intentions and business models? What new organizational forms are evolving to give businesses the flexibility to adapt to a changing environment? Are new business models driven from the top down or the bottom up – or both? What are the roles of entrepreneurs in global, subsidiary and local firms when competition is increasingly global, institutions are changing, and stakeholder demands are impossible to ignore? How can multinational firms best access the benefits of reverse or indigenous innovation to build competitive advantage? What new academic approaches do we need to understand the transitions of firms and their business models in a changing environment?Track Chair: Stephen B Tallman, University of Richmond

Track D: General Track
Many exciting sets of ideas have been offered concerning the implications of transitions for the practice and study of strategic management. Interesting questions include: (1) What theoretical and practical perspectives can be associated with the conference theme "Strategy in Transition?" (2) Which theories are especially suitable in explaining how transitions matter? (3) Based on the empirical research to date, what do we know and how should we proceed? (4) What opportunities are there for theoretical integration and cross-disciplinary research, and what can strategic management learn from other fields?Track Chair: Frank Rothaermel, Georgia Institute of Technology